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WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Congressman John Carney (D-DE) released the following statements after introduction of the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act of 2015 to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid:

“Medicare and Medicaid lose tens of billions of dollars annually to fraudsters and improper payments, and our seniors ultimately pay the price,” said Congressman Roskam. “The PRIME Act would enhance data sharing about suspected scammers between the programs and modernize outdated anti-fraud prevention systems. These commonsense reforms will save precious taxpayer dollars and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid by eliminating vulnerabilities that expose them to costly scams. I want to thank Congressman Carney for working with me to help ensure these programs are solvent for future generations.”

“The PRIME Act will strengthen Medicare and protect seniors by ensuring that resources go to those who need them, not criminals looking to take advantage of the system,” said Congressman Carney. “In this Congress, it’s not easy to find areas where Democrats and Republicans agree, but fighting waste, fraud, and abuse while saving billions of taxpayer dollars just makes sense. I urge House leadership to bring this bill up for a vote.”

"On behalf of the nearly 38 million AARP members and the millions of Americans with Medicare, we applaud the introduction of the Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act of 2015,” said Joyce Rogers, Senior Vice President of AARP. “This important, bipartisan legislation, would positively impact older Americans by curbing waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. AARP is committed to improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our nation's health care system, and believe this bill will help improve program integrity.”

"As the nation’s broadest-based group dedicated to achieving comprehensive health care reform, NCHC recognizes the importance of fighting fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid to improve health and lower costs," said John Rother, President and CEO of National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC). "The PRIME Act of 2015 takes an important step toward achieving those goals, and we fully support the passage of this legislation."

“On behalf of the members of National Taxpayers Union (NTU), I am pleased to offer our praise for the many solid fiscal reforms contained in the PRIME Act,” said Pete Sepp, President of National Taxpayers Union. “This legislation would provide some of the latest, most effective pro-taxpayer administrative and accountability measures to the federal government’s two major health programs. The PRIME Act would help begin transforming the management perspectives at Medicaid and Medicare toward a more intense commitment to preventative, rather than reactive, fiscal diligence.”

“Greater collaboration between the public and private sectors on efforts to identify fraud early and root out it out quickly will help us keep our nation’s promise to seniors and taxpayers, and we applaud Congressman Roskam and Congressman Carney for making these issues a priority," said Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

"HMS's mission is to protect the integrity of the healthcare system," said Bill Lucia, President and CEO of HMS. "Therefore we're pleased to support the Preventing Improper Medicare & Medicaid Expenditures (PRIME) Act – much-needed legislation that promises to curb fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs."

“The re-introduction of the PRIME Act is a significant first step in solidifying the future of the Medicare and Medicaid programs,” said Dan Weber, President of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). “AMAC commends Representatives Roskam and Carney for working together in a bipartisan fashion to tackle the serious problems of waste, fraud and abuse that continue to unnecessarily drain these programs at the expense of seniors in need. Millions of older Americans consider Medicare and Medicaid vital to accessing quality health care – yet loopholes in the law leave many vulnerable to heinous crimes, such as identity theft and fraud, or reward improper payments to individuals scheming the system. We strongly believe that the PRIME Act enacts responsible measures that will protect seniors, minimize wasteful spending and strengthen these programs for future beneficiaries. AMAC urges Congress to pass this commonsense legislation and to enhance the overall integrity of these important programs.”

“The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) applauds the reintroduction of the Preventing and Recovering Improper Medicare Expenditures (PRIME) Act,” said Dr. Frederick M. Azar, President of American Associations of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). “Fraud and abuse accounts for an undetermined amount of wasteful spending throughout the Medicare program and threatens the health and welfare of patients. This important legislation has the potential to save taxpayers billions of dollars by reducing improper Medicare payments and improving data sharing. The AAOS is committed to fighting waste and fraud in our federal health care system and we thank Representatives Roskam and Carney for their continued leadership on this issue.”